Argument Hour: Where America Can Do Better 2

Addition

Media:
The American media has an important role. They are the gateway to information for many people who do not have the time to research every little aspect of life. I think that it is within this we need more probing news. I do not doubt that the news prods and pokes at different things. But, there are definitely segments of their broadcast that are needless. You do not need to criticize and ridicule everything that Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton or Britney Spears does. Leave that to Entertainment News or Access Hollywood.

As far as CNN and Fox News goes, this will never happen, but I have some ideas. Fuck this whole biased shit. Don't skew your reports to seem more liberal, more conservative, more this or more that. Just report the fuckin news. Let us decide for ourselves. You are just allowing the United States to become dumb. They're beginning to believe everything and I mean everything you say, and spitting it back out like it is their own knowledge. That's why I say question what you hear. There are too many ways for people to speak to get what they want. Read the Tipping Point, or take a stats class, or even a business writing class. They'll show you how you can speak to get what you want. But all this bias does, is make us resort to pettiness.

If all the news companies could speak like this to convey their way, then they are going to find any means to one up the competition. You know what then ends up happening? "This company is ignorant." or "That candidate is an idiot." Is this not what happened to Bush. Like I said, spit it back out. Bush is an idiot why? Because he's not a good public speaker? Just because he sounds like one? Or because you disagree with the war in Iraq? Or because that's how the media portrays him?

I don't know, sometimes all this stuff just seems a little too convenient!

COMING SOON!
Candidate Overviews. Pros and Cons of who you could vote for, if you actually decide to get up and vote!

Argument Hour: Where America Can Do Better..

I've been holding off on this, because I have been too lazy to actually do some research, and back my theories up. But I finally just decided to say screw it, and speak my mind.

In my opinion there are many things that America is lacking. And it is in this that I have some solutions. Yes these solutions are not necessarily easy, but are nice to keep in mind when you are passing by someone on the street. So here it is.

Unity.
America lacks unity. Look at the political parties, and how divided the polls have been the past elections. When was the last time you saw a majority of America stand behind something. Anything.

Knowledge.
America lacks knowledge. How many of you can name more than 4 people running for president next year. How may of you can name their stances on various subjects. Stop focusing on what clothes you are wearing, or what Lindsay Lohan is doing and go read a fuckin book. Or how about you watch CNN instead of MTV, even the Colbert Report or the Daily Show. At least they cover stuff relevant to your life. It's your country, it has to do with you! Many of you go out there and say you hate Bush, and that he is an idiot, but the second you are asked why, you stutter. I am not advocating anything that Bush has done, but I am not putting any of it down either. I want you to go out there and figure that out your damn self. Shoot, if you don't want to read a book, there are many different sources you can go to, to get information on the subject, NPR, the various movies made, and there is always youtube. Haha. Which brings me to my next subject

Conviction.
America lacks conviction. The strength to stand by what we believe, no matter what happens. We too readily take in information and just spit it back out as if it were always true. Find out what you believe,
and stick by it. Even better stand up for what you believe in. Look at the various movements over time, and what these people fought for. For example, the right to vote. People fought and died for this opportunity, and we can even find the decency to know who is running. You don't like the war? Stop just saying shit and do something about it. You don't like it that much, well there are measures you can take.

Values
When I was growing up, there were family values everywhere. From Step by Step to Full House. We made fun of dysfunctional families and glorified the good old fashioned ones. I know that this is getting harder and harder to deal with, taking into account longer work days, single parent homes and the need for both parents to work. But there are things that you can do. For one, don't have a kid until you're ready. Duh! Geniuses. But if you do decide to have one, how about you teach them some manners. Don't hesitate to put your kid in their place. Yeah they may cry, and who cares if they embarrass you at the store. You need to teach your kids that they can't do whatever they want, and that there is something out there called manners. How about you reorganize your priorities, and put family a little bit higher up there. Thanks. Also, there is such thing as American values, when was the last time these values were reinforced, revised or even spoken of. Can we recall what they are?

Safety
We lack the sense of safety. Or maybe it is just because we are so insecure. When was the last time you saw more than 4 or 5 groups of people come through your house on Halloween. When was the last time you talked to someone you were stuck in an elevator with or you bump into. All these electronics have shut us off from each other. We text instead of call, we walk past without a nod or a smile and we had to create a law just to help others out. I'm talking good Samaritans, we should not have to be forced to good things. Is it that hard to help another person out. We've been molded to act like this so break the fuckin mold. I mean, everyone is a little too stuck on self image to realize, that life is so much more than, material goods. What's the point in having all this shit if you're not having fun. Meet people, learn what they've been through, and understand that the world doesn't revolve around you.


I don't know what you think. But this is what I think. So say what you will, it is all opinion. In fact, I'd love to hear what your thoughts are. Put me in my place, I don't mind it, but don't mind me if I do the same to you

Argument Hour: The American Dream

People come to America to try and fulfill the American Dream. From this country or that country, they all come in hopes of achieving, fame, wealth or just something better than what they had, wherever they came from. Last night, I had one of the weirdest, but most enlightening conversations. And after all this, I challenge you, to just meet one new person, every week, every month, whatever, just on occasion. You never really know what they've been through. And it's always nice to see what people have done to get where they are.

Almost every morning for the past couple weeks, I wake up in my room, and someone walks through. Not necessarily a roommate rather a house mate. Thing is, that the door to his room is in my room. That's just the way it's set up at Cong's place. He stays in this musty room padded with noise proof mats and cork board, which is basically a dining room converted into an extra bedroom. Nevertheless, I wake up, and he walks through. Quick and indifferent good mornings or what time is its are exchanged, and then we go about our daily business. He wakes up at 8 every morning, heads out to work or wherever he goes, and usually doesn't come back home until at least 12. But up until last night, I had no clue who this man was. We didn't share a common language, and we didn't exchange background stories. He was just a person, who lived in the next room. I was oblivious to that fact that this man had any life of his own. Why was he living in this makeshift room in Westminster? Does he have a family? How old is he? But all these questions were answered last night.

Cong and I were playing games on the 360, after a bowl of pho, and he comes in. His room is at the other end of the house, but he heads toward the bathroom. He comes out and speaks to Cong in Vietnamese for a bit, and turns to me and asks if I like to drink beer and if I do what kind. And I mean, I do, so I said yeah and that basically I'll drink anything. Where in turn, he looks at Cong, gives him money and tells him to go buy some Budweiser. It's free beer so we go, and along the way discuss the awkward situation which is about to occur. Not only is there a verbal barrier, but there is also the cultural, and age barrier in play here. I get a little background, basically that he used to hang out with Cong's brother when he was still living here, he's moving out and he works at a restaurant, but that was the extent of our knowledge.

We head back, and there he was, waiting on the beer. Unsure about how to approach the situation, knowing that he wanted to hang out, Cong and I just head inside. Started up the game again, and let him settle down with his can of Bud. He hands me one and the story telling begins. We learn that he came out to California, from Dallas, one of America's top 3 little Saigon's, to work. His Dad is here and other than that he is basically in America by himself. He shares his stories, of where he works, and what his experience is like. And basically, this man is caught in the middle of the American Dream. He came to America at a reasonably young age, in hopes to make something better for himself. He works ten hours, seven days a week, in a Chinese restaurant 45 minutes from here. And basically other than Cong's brother who he no longer talks to, and his dad who has to be at least 70, he has no real human interaction. He explains, the loneliness of working 70 hour work weeks, in a environment full of Spanish speaking cooks and Chinese speaking wait staff. The despair of being away from his wife and kids for so long. And the aspirations of a better future, he hopes to find here in America. He then explains to me how he tried to talk to me, despite the language barrier, asking the time and what not that it was nice talking to us, then thanks us for being such kind listeners and heads off to bed. A whole new perspective on life opened up there. The person living 5 feet away from me in the other room, is just a man caught in a dream.